Adjustable seat support



Dec. 6, 1938. w s SAUNDERS 2,139,174

ADJUSTABLE SEAT SUPPORT Filed Nov. 5, 1957 4 Sheets-=Sheet 1 Dec. 6, 1938. w, 5, SAUNDERS I 2,139,174

ADJUSTABLE SEAT SUPPORT Filed Nov. 5', 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' ENTOR BY W M4454: 4

H 52 0 L 2 22 m Dec. 6, 1938. w. s. SAUNDERS 2,139,174

ADJUSTABLE SEAT SUPPORT Filed Nov. 5, 1957 4 sheets-sneak s w. s. SAUNDERS. 2,139,174

ADJUSTABLE SEAT SUPPORT Filed Nov. 5, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 6, 1938..

Patented Dec. 6, 1938 PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE SEAT SUPPORT Walter S. Saunders, Pontiac, Mlch., assignor to The American Forging & Socket Company, Pontiac, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application November 3, 1937, Serial No. 172,594

'lClaims.

This invention relates to adjustable supporting means, particularly for seats of the varieties used in automobiles and other vehicles. The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified seat support, incorporating track portions adapted to be secured to a floor, and carriage portions rollable over the tracks and arranged to support a seat, the parts being so constructed that the carriage is self-aligning with respect to the track, yet the mechanism may be very simply and economically formed of sheet metal.

Another object is to provide such adjustable seat supporting .means with improved, manually releasable latching means for holding the seat in any desired position of adjustment.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of my invention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of a seat supporting assembly constructed in accordance with the prin ciples of the present invention, the synchronizing shaft being centrally broken away, and the operative position of a supported seat indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof, fragmentarily showing a seat carried thereby.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational viewof the latching mechanism.

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view, partly broken the latching mechanism.

Figure 5 is an enlarged front elevational view of such unit, the operating handlefor the latch mechanism being partly broken away.

Figure 6 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Figure 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 88 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view, similar to Figure 3, showing a somewhat modified latch construction.

Figure 10 is a front elevational view ofsuch modified embodiment similar, to Figure 5.

55 Figure 11 is a detailed section taken substanaway, of the track and carriage unit carrying tially on the line ll--l of Figure 9, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be appreciated that since two complete supporting assemblies are used, one for each end of a seat, description of one will suflice. Latching means need be incorporated in one unit only, and accordingly the description will relate to such unit having the latching means; it being understood that the other unit of the pair is similar except for omission of the latching mechanism.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 to 8 inclusive, in which the supporting floor is indicated at l I, it will be seen that the track assembly comprises a support in the form of an upstanding sheet metal web l4, having base flange portions it by which it is adapted to be screwed or otherwise secured to the floor. The track inclines up wardly towards the front, and along its top is provided with angularly divergentflange-forming elements it, which are attached to opposite sides thereof and provide a trough-like top of generally Y-shaped cross section. As best shown in'Figures 5 and 6, the track web It may project upwardly between the flange portions 15, the flanges being secured thereto by rivets, while the carriage 20, the cross sectional form of which appears in Figure 6, is provided with underbent flange portions 2| which project beneath the track flanges l5 and so prevent separation of the carriage from the track.

One or more rollers, as 22, journaled upon pins 23 transfixing the side webs of the carriage, support the latter. The central portions of the rollers are of greater diameter than their ends,- those shown being shaped to flt the sloping contour of the flanges Hi. This will be seen to provide a self-centering action and prevent lateral shifting of the seat. 'Each roller is formed of a pair of simple cupped sheet metal elements, flared outwardly toward and welded together concentrically at their open ends. In the embodiment shown, one simple roller of this character is used, near the back of the carriage, a similar but toothed roller 25 being provided for the front end of the carriage.

The top edge of the web It, near the front and between flange portions I5, is provided with rack teeth 30 meshing with toothed roller 25. Such roller, as will be seen from an inspection of Figure '7, is formed similarly to roller 22,'the' teeth being cut in the central portion of greatest diameter provided by the previously described outward flaring of the two sections of which the rolle is formed.

. sideration.

Since it is desirable that the two ends of the seat move simultaneously and uniformly, a synchronizing cross shaft 32 is provided extending between the two track and carriage assemblies, the toothed roller 25 of each unit being fast upon such shaft. The shaft extends through and beyond one of the carriage units, as shown in Figure 7, pivotally supporting upon such extension the operating handle for the latching mechanism.

The latching means functions to releasably hold one carriage with relation to its track, thereby also holding the carriage of the unit at the other end of the seat, by reason of the cross-connection provided by shaft 32.

A detent element 40 is pivoted upon a shouldered rivet 4|, to the outer web of one of the carriage members 20. The detent is formed of sheet metal and provided with a rearwardly extending in-bent extremity 42 which projects through a curved slot 43 in the carriage. The slot is concentric with the pivotal axis defined by rivet 4|, and long enough to allow the nose 42 of the detent to swing downwardly into and upwardly out of engagement with one of the flanges I 5, which flange is provided with a plurality of notches l1 adapted to receive the detent, whereby the latter may hold the carriage in any of a plurality of positions. A spring 49 urges the detent into locked position, while to enable swinging the detent to released position the operating handle is connected thereto by segmental gear portions, one formed upon the detent upon its side opposite the pivot pin 4|, and the other upon a rearwardly projecting portion 46 of the operating arm.

The form of the operating handle appears in Figures 2, 4 and 5. As there shown, its laterally bent inner extremity 46 which carries the segmental gear portion is apertured to fit loosely upon the projecting portion of shaft 32, as also is a downbent tongue 41 nearer the end of such shaft. A cotter pin 48 serves to hold the handle upon the shaft while allowing independent rotation of the shaft and handle. The latter is curved upwardly and forwardly for convenient manipulation by an occupant of the seat, and it will be seen that when the handle is lifted, the nose 42 of the detent is raised, freeingit from teeth l1 and allowing both carriages to roll freely.

In the somewhat modified construction shown in Figures 9 and 10, the track and carriage assemblies are of similar construction, and equivalent portions are accordingly designated by like reference characters, distinguished by the addition of the letter A to each. Only the latching portions and adjacent parts of the track and carriage assembly, therefore, need detailed con- The rack teeth 30A, similarly arranged for engagement with the forward toothed roller 25A, also serve as abutment means, engageable by the detent 40A housed within the carriage, to hold the carriage and so to hold the seat against movement. The sheet metal detent is vertically slidable in the carriage member 20A, its upper extremity projecting through a slot (undesignated) in the top of the carriage, while laterally extending ears as 44A extend through vertical slots also undesignated) in the sides of the carriage element. One of such laterally extending ears also projects through an opening in a lever arm 45A formed integrally with the operating arm 45A. The nose portion 42A of the detent projects downwardly between track flanges ISA, and when in the normal rest position engages he teeth 30A to hold the carriage assembly and accordingly the seat against movement. A spring 49A urges the detent downwardly into engagement with the teeth, the spring encircling the upper end of the detent and being housed within the carriage assembly 20A.

As best shown in Figure 11, the roller construction may be so located as to prevent unnecessary frictional engagement between its ends and the side walls of the carriage, while opposite sides of its toothed central portion may project freely between the flange elements ISA, to contact only the toothed top portion of the web A. As there shown, the roller 25A is keyed to the shaft 32A by integral key portions 33A pressed out of the surface of the shaft and arranged to fit within keyways (undesignated) cut in the body of the roller. An integral abutment portion formed upon the shaft outside the carriage and bearing against one side web thereof locates the carriage with respect to the roller, the other side of the carriage being held against lateral movement by the handle 45A.

What I claim is:

1. A track and roller assembly for movably supporting a seat or the like, comprising a trough-like track portion having upwardly divergent sides, longitudinally extending rack teeth arranged between and below said sides and accessible from above the same, a roller mounted in said track portion and rollable therealong upon a transverse axis, said roller having a central toothed portion of increased diameter meshing with the rack teeth, and having portions of grad ually diminishing diameter inclined conformably to and bearing upon said divergent sides.

2. A track and carriage assembly for movably supporting a seat or the like, comprising a track having opposed upwardly and laterally extending .top flanges forming a trough-like top, a carriage member movably supported upon said track and having a flange portion underlying at least one of said top flanges to prevent vertical separation of the carriage from the track, and a roller rotatable with respect to the carriage, rollably mounted in the trough-like top portion of the track, and having a central portion of increased diameter whereby it tends to center itself in the trough and s0 maintains the carriage against lateral movement with respect to the track, said trough-like top of the track being providedwith longitudinally extending rack tooth portions, gear teeth carried by one of said rollers and. meshing with such rack tooth portions, a shaft carrying said roller and projecting laterally from said carriage, detent means carried by the carriage and projectlble into and out of engagement with the track portion to releasably hold the carriage against movement with relation thereto, and operating means for said detent, including a portion journaled on said laterally projecting shaft portion.

3. Means for movably supportinga seat or the like comprising a track construction having an upstanding web, a toothed top portion carried by said web, a pair of flange-forming portions carried by said top portion of the web and extending laterally outwardly and upwardly from opposite sides thereof, and seat-supporting roller means including a roller having a central toothed portion of increased diameter projecting downwardly between said flange forming portions and into meshing engagement with said toothed top portion of the web.

4; Means as set forth in claim 3 including a carriage supported by said roller, a detent car- 75 tied by said carriage and ensageablc and disennaseahle with respect to said toothed portion of the Web, and operating means for said detent.

h. Means as set forth in claim 3 including an elongated carriage of substantially box-like cross section supported by said roller means and enclosing the same, said carriage having underbent flanges extending beneath said flange forming portions to prevent vertical separation of the car riage from the track construction, and detent means carried by the carriage and engageable and disengageable with respect /to the track for releasably holding the carriage against movement with relation to the track..

6. Means as set forth in claim 3 including an elongated carriage oi substantially-box-iike cross section supported by said roller means and en- I closing the same, said carriage having underbent flanges extending beneath said flange forming W portions to prevent vertical separation oi the carrie ii'om the track construction, detent means housed within and vertically movable with respect to said carriage into and out of engagement with said toothed'portion of the track web, and operating means for said detent also carried by the carriage.

'7. Means as set forth in claim 3 including an elongated carriage oi substantially box-like cross section supported by said roller means and enclosing the same, said carriage having underbent flanges extending beneath said flange forming portions to prevent vertical separation of the carriage from the track construction, detent means housed within and vertically movable with respect to said carriage into and out of engagement with said toothed portion of the track web, a shaft projecting through and from the carriage and carrying said roller, and operating' 

